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I had the pleasure of being invited to a soft opening for a new soft serve, ice cream shop opening up in the Dallas area. Dope right! Every time I get invited to openings, I always feel so blessed.

So today, we are going to show some love to this lovely, woman owned business, Pure Milk and Honey. Cindy is so sweet and honestly, I am always here to support small businesses and women business owners. Shoutout to us ladies doing thangs! lol. Now, check out my review below.

pure Milk and Honey

Things to know

All of the soft serve is natural made and flavored with local Texas milk that is certified organic and 100% pure, raw honey and honeycombs. No sugar mix or sweeteners. You can really taste the honey in there too!

They offer non-diary options! Yes, all vegans and vegetarians, we have options if you are not here for the dairy options. They come in the Honey and Dark Chocolate flavors. To be honest, I had the Dark Chocolate dairy and non-dairy flavors and I preferred the non-dairy option. It was so light and you tasted the flavors more.

What all do they offer? The menu includes, soft serve in a cup of homemade waffle cone, shakes, sundaes, and these lovely, honey teas. I got a chance to try the Blueberry flavor with San Pellegrino and I believe I will have to get these every time I visit.

Fan Favorite

The Going Bananas Sundae. It is made of their signature, honey ice cream topped with their homemade banana bread, sliced bananas, dark and white chocolate chips and their homemade chocolate fudge sauce. When I tell you this was GOOD! The thing I loved the most is that the banana bread didn’t really have cinnamon in it (I’m allergic) and it didn’t have nuts in it (for those who are allergic to nuts). Great right!

Today, we are featuring a restaurant we all know and love, Cheesecake Factory. They have been slowly, but surely adding more veggie friendly menu items. I love this change that restaurants are making! There are various locations here in the DFW area, but my go to is the one in Frisco.

Check out my full review below!

The Cheesecake Factory

Things to know

There is always a wait at Cheesecake Factory lol. In all of my years of eating there, I may have been seated right away if I was going to an early lunch. Other than that, it has always been a wait. Be patient because it is worth it.

The restaurant originated in the Midwest! Detroit, Michigan to be exact. No wonder I love this place so much. It’s a piece of home :).

They offer so many menus for your dietary, lifestyle needs. If you are more conscious of eating things with less calories, the Skinnylicious menu will help you stay within your diet. They have vegan options on the menu now too! The recent addition was the Impossible Burger.

Fan Favorite

The Korean Fried Cauliflower hands down is my new favorite appetizer! It’s crunchy, it’s sweet, it’s spicy, and the dipping sauce is bangin! You have to try this.

Pictured above starting from left to right is the Korean Fried Cauliflower, Hot Spinach and Cheese Dip, and Flatbread.

Hi Foxy People! In honor of Fat Tuesday, I wanted to bless yall with a veggie friendly gumbo. It’s got everything, but the crab legs lol.

Check out my recipe below!

Ingredients

Vegetarian (2 individual servings)

4 cups of Vegetable Broth

1 bag of Frozen Gumbo Medley Vegetables

3 Smart Meatless Italian Sausage links

1 can of Cannellini Beans

2 small Vine Tomatoes

1/4 cup of All Purpose Flour

2 tablespoons of Tomato Paste

2 cloves of Garlic (minced)

3 tablespoons of Vegan Spread

2 tablespoons of Tony Chachere’s seasonings

Directions

Prep your garlic, dice your tomatoes, and cut your sausages on the bias into 1 inch slices. You can also rinse and drain off your beans as well.

In a small pot, heat up your gumbo vegetable medley with about 3 tablespoons of water. The goal is to thaw out the veggies and allow them to soften. This will cook for about 5 minutes. Drain excess water off and sit aside.

In a large pot, turn the heat to medium and melt your vegan spread. Add in your minced garlic and allow it to brown a bit.

Take your sausage and add them in. Allow each side to get a brown crust to it. This is about 2 minutes of cooking on each side. Then take the sausage out and sit it aside. Keep all the buttery goodness at the bottom.

Now it’s time for the roux! Add in your flour and allow it to mix well with the vegan spread. It forms a nice, brown paste.

Add in all of your Tony’s seasoning and slowly stir in the vegetable broth. You want to make sure the flour clumps are gone.

Then add in everything to the big pot. This includes your tomato paste, sausage, gumbo veggies, and beans. Make sure everything is mixed well together.

Cover the gumbo and turn the heat down to a simmer on low heat. Allow it to cook for about 15 minutes and you are ready to serve!

I hope you enjoyed all the Black History Month shoutouts I did. I wanted to make sure we highlighted some of our dope people doing great things. This month, I am helping everyone who is practicing #meatlessmarch. Everyday, I plan to bring you either recipes, restaurant reviews, or tips that help me to survive this plant-based lifestyle, one post at a time. So stay tuned for these surprises throughout March!

Today, we of course are starting off with a new restaurant where you can get some good asian cuisine that you can share with others or leave it all to yourself, Gung Ho. Located in the Lower Greenville area, you can find this hidden gem next to HG Supply Co. We got a chance to celebrate my friend’s birthday there and let’s just say, we will be back again soon.

I have my full review below!

Gung Ho

LO MEIN

Things to know

Everything is family style shared plates. So when they bring the food, they automatically provide you with plates to share food and steamed rice for the table.

During the week, they do not open until after 5 pm, so if you were seeking lunch during the week, you won’t be able to. However, they are open at 10 am on Saturday and Sundays. They are open late during the weekdays. Mondays, Fridays, and Saturdays, they are even open until 2 am!

They have a whole section dedicated to the veggie & vegan friendly foxies! In addition to that, you can always ask to get other items without the meat if you are really craving fried rice or lo mein noodles. For the Pescatarians out here, they have seafood options as well.

Fan Favorite

As pictured, my favorite meal on the menu was the Lo Mein. What can I say, I LOVE noodles! It was so good. I just asked to get it with the noodles and veggies with an egg added in. It was so good, everyone at the table wanted some. I had to cut them off lol.

Something extra: If you get the if you want to see something different and interesting, order the Roasted Mushrooms. The bonito flakes move when they bring the plate out.

Hi Foxy People! I have a special post happening today. For all of you who are wanting to cook a fancy dinner for your significant other for Valentine’s Day, you can definitely still throw down in the kitchen and impress with Vegetarian recipes. I have 3 recipes that look as good as they are to eat. Check out my recipes for Fancy Mac & Cheese, Portobello Parmesan, and Chocolate Covered Strawberries shown below!

Hi Foxy People! It’s “Foodie Friday” and we made it through another week. We did that! lol. Black History Month is in full swing and I wanted to highlight a few Black-owned, plant-based restaurants here in the DFW. Today, we are showing off Peace.Love.&Eatz Smoothie Bar . Located in theGrow Desoto Market Place, you can enjoy plant based gems created by Chef James McGee. I have my full review below!

Peace.Love.&Eatz Smoothie Bar

‘Shroom Sammich

Things to know

The restaurant is located in the Grow Desoto Market Place. It reminds me of the setup at the Dallas Farmers Market. An incubator for small businesses to thrive, which is great! I appreciate any space that is down to help our communities to grow and flourish while promoting people to shop local.

Not only is there a full food menu, there is a menu that is just as long for smoothies! I love smoothies so much and I enjoy the fact that there isn’t dairy or almond milks being used to create them. You have natural juices or coconut water. This is lovely when you really want a pure, fruit smoothie!

Store hours are only from Wednesday to Sunday. 9 am – 7 pm Wed-Sat & 12 pm – 5 pm on Sundays. They are open late enough for you to enjoy a meal right after work and open all day on Saturday for you to enjoy a day of good eating.

Fan Favorite

I was instantly drawn to the ‘Shroom Sammich. It is made of fried oyster mushrooms topped with tomato, avocado, pickled onions & mixed greens on a warm pretzel bun; served with fries drizzled with cashew or hemp sauce. I asked the Cashier which one they preferred and they suggested the cashew one. It was a great choice! I loved how soft the pretzel bread was, although it doesn’t take much for me to be sold on pretzel bread. It’s my favorite bun for burgers. I’m happy they chose this as their signature bun because there aren’t too many places that offer it. The mushrooms were crunchy and seasoned very well. The sweet potato fries gave a good sweetness to counter the mushrooms.

Something extra: “Sunshine” Smoothie – Made of Pineapple, Mango, Coconut Water, Passion Fruit Juice. It comes in 2 sizes – 12 oz. & 24 oz. I had the 12 oz. and it was plenty. This smoothie was so good and refreshing. I just good in my soul and light. Can’t wait to try the other options.

Hi Foxy People! Happy February. We are 1 month down in the new year. Did it seem like January was the longest month ever or is it just me? lol.

We’ve been weathering chilly temps here in Dallas. Obviously, Dallas weather is no comparison to the temps in the Midwest, but it’s truly Winter here in Texas. On this “Foodie Friday” , I wanted to highlight one of my go to spots when I want something comforting and warm. Anyone who knows me, knows that I LOVE Indian food. When I found this gem while I was shopping in Frisco, let’s just say it was love at first sight. Check out my review on Masala Wok below!

Masala Wok

Things to know

The restaurant is split between two cuisines. You have a full Indian food menu and Asian food menu. To be honest, the Indian side has been so good, that I haven’t even tried the other one. Terrible right! lol. I will get to it one day.

They have multiple locations in the DFW area. If you don’t feel like commuting all the way to Frisco, you can always enjoy the Richardson or Irving locations.

They have Gluten Free and Vegan Menus as well. That’s right, they cover all of your dietary bases at this restaurant.

Fan Favorite

My go to dish every single time that I go there is…. Malai Kofta. It is a dish made of golden, vegetable balls that are filled with potatoes, carrots, cabbage, paneer, peas, & cauliflower that is bathed in the most delicious, silky onion-tomato cream sauce. It comes with a side of basmati rice and naan. You can get all of this for $10!

In second place, if you are in the mood for a wrap, I suggest getting the Tandoori Wrap made with Paneer. It’s naan bread with mozzarella cheese, cilantro, red onions, & tomatoes served with a side salad and tikka masala. So good!

Hi Foxy People! It’s another beautiful “Foodie Friday” . This week, I want to highlight another brunch spot in Dallas. I was able to celebrate a friend’s birthday. I love when I have an excuse to try a new place, especially Greek food! It’s a favorite of mine. Check out my review on Ziziki’s Restaurant below!

Ziziki’s Restaurant

Things to know

The restaurant is split between two buildings. The have a main area where the brunch setup is and tables. There is another building right across the walkway that they own as well and it is where the larger parties are seated.

The omelette and eggs benedict option is available, you just have to order it through your waiter or waitress. Don’t worry, it is still included in the buffet setup.

The mimosas are 10 cents for the starter glass and then bottomless mimosas after that.

Fan Favorite

I had a great amount of options on the buffet line, which was good.

I really enjoyed the White Cold Pasta made with mushrooms, zucchini, squash, artichokes, mayo, basil, Feta cheese, diced tomatoes. It was so good, I got 2 helpings. No worries, I balanced it out with fresh fruit on my plate.

Hi Foxy People! It’s another beautiful “Foodie Friday” . This week, I want to highlight a brunch spot in Desoto, TX. I was able to give this place a try for our Praise Dance Holiday Party for church. Check out my review of this black owned, community staple BH Lounge below!

BH Lounge

Things to know

They are know for their Brunch on Saturday and Sunday from 10:00 am to 2:00 pm. It includes unlimited mimosas, an omelette station, waffles made to order, with a buffet spread of typical breakfast and Sunday dinner favorites.

You can make reservations for big parties. If you’re dining in small parties, a reservation isn’t always needed.

They have live music. Check their “Band Calendar” to see the scheduled dates.

Fan Favorite

I enjoyed the build your own omelette station. They make them fresh to order at the station and have veggie options! I also loved that they had a grits station. It reminded me of home cooking at my grandparents house!

Bonus, is the fact that they had a lot of flavor choices for the mimosas. I was able to try pineapple for the first time and it was good. It’s best to get the bottomless mimosas option because if you purchase two individual glasses, you pretty much paid for the bottomless option.

2018 was an amazing year! It was filled with new beginnings. I was blessed to go from a blogger to a chef/business owner who hosts cooking demonstrations. I’ve had partnerships with so many wonderful businesses and fellow bloggers alike. I even lived out my dreams of being featured in a major publication and conducting a cooking demonstration at a farmers market. I’m so happy that I was able to share my journey with each of you! Life can be a crazy, a hot mess, filled with twists and turns, but it’s all wrapped up in moments of happiness, the best outcomes, and overall joy.

As for 2019, I’m looking forward to building and continuing to grow. I want to continue to share my plant-based journey with you. I want you to share your experiences with me too.

Hi Foxy People! I’ve been a little MIA enjoying time with my family for the holidays. I wanted to at least share a little something for my “Foodie Friday” series. This week, I want to highlight a pie place that I was able to try at one of the blogger events I attended. Peckish Pies is your one stop shop for mini pies. Check out my review below on these cute, little gems!

Peckish Pies

Things to know

There isn’t a physical location for these pies. You have to order them online. Honestly, we order everything else online. Why not order treats as well? Added bonus, there is a 10% discount happening as we speak. Use “THANKS18” for the code.

Order requirements exist, but they make sense. You must order a minimum of four pies of the flavor of your choice. I admit, you wouldn’t want to only order 1 mini pecan pie at $4.50. Shipping alone costs more than that amount. You should want to order at least four to get your money’s worth.

Order 2 days in advance. They mention to allow 24 – 48 hours on the website, but give them and yourself more cushion time. Especially, with it being the holidays.

Fan Favorite

Although I do love that they offer a variety of savory and sweet pies, my favorite has to be, “The Old Fashioned.”

The Old Fashioned – Classic Pecan Pie with Chunks of Chocolate and a Splash of Bourbon. Who doesn’t like a little liquor in their desserts? So good! I also, love the fact that the pecans don’t take over the pie. There are just a few on the top.

Hi Foxy People! How are feeling this “Foodie Friday” ? This week, I wanted to highlight one of my little hidden gems in Dallas. Tucked away on Main Street in Deep Ellum is one of my favorite Breakfast spots, All Good Cafe. If you are looking for a laid back place with staff that makes you feel like family, you will truly enjoy visiting here! Check out my review below and you will see what I mean.

All Good Cafe

Things to know

Brunch lasts until 3 pm!!! Plenty of time for you to get up and get there before they stop serving breakfast.

You need to check in at the register to get on the list. Don’t worry, if you look lost, someone will help you out lol. Most people who are already on the list, wait by the stage area off to the side.

They serve lunch and dinner too! Be mindful that they close at 7 pm on Sunday and 9 pm every other day.

Fan Favorite

Let me put out the disclaimer that I have eaten some many things on the menu! lol. The Five-Cheese Mac & Cheese is bomb. Their 3 Egg Omelette is so good and you can customize it to your liking. The one the keeps a special place in my heart is Sophie’s Breakfast Tacos #1.

Sophie’s Breakfast Tacos #1 – Farm-fresh eggs scrambled with pepper jack cheese and avocado placed in soft corn tortillas. You can choose between black beans or potatoes. I always get the potatoes because they cook them with bell peppers and onions. SO good! I think what takes it over is their pico de gallo. I don’t know what all is in it, but I always end up leaving the bowl empty lol.

If you are a coffee fan, give their coffee a try and look around at all the tables. Each cup is different and has it’s own character. While you are at it, take a look up at the ceiling. You’ll catch all the beautiful cranes in the sky. I love it!

Hi Foxy People! It’s another wonderful “Foodie Friday.” This week, we are covering a special occasion. It was my Grandy’s birthday last Saturday! I was so happy that she decided to her special day with me and mama in the Big D. Of course I had to show her a good time, right! This meant we were going to all of the new attractions that she missed the last time she visited. The Frisco Star was at the top of the list. I must admit, this was my excuse to finally try a restaurant I’ve been wanting to try for months, Tupelo Honey . It worked out great because it was food that reminded her of home. Nailed it! Take a look at my review below of this southern, comfort restaurant.

Tupelo Honey

Things to Know

Tupelo Honey has roots in the Carolina mountains. That’s where they receive their inspiration and recipes.

It’s best to make a reservation. We decided to make a reservation that night and it worked in our favor. The place filled up quickly. Also, this is the only place I’ve been to where all members of your party do not have to be in present before you can be seated. Parking was a nightmare that night, so thank God! lol

Their menu covers all dietary lifestyles, while staying true to Southern roots. They have so many Vegan and Vegetarian options. If you are Pescatarian, no problem. They have seafood options. For those who love fried chicken, they have a variety of their famous fried chicken. We can all enjoy a meal here!

Fan Favorite

Hands down, the best meal option for me and my veggie peeps was the Farm Fresh Vegetable Plate. It was great because you get to try 4 of their side options for around $15. Not bad! My options were Basil & Butter Green Beans (wasn’t a fan), Cheesy Potato Gratin with Biscuit Crumbles (so good!), Mixed Greens Salad (loved their house dressing), and Roasted Maple & Sage Root Vegetables (great flavors). Everything was great to me except for the green beans. I understand the process of shocking them in the cold water to stop the cooking and keeping the color, but I expected to taste more of the warm basil butter and salt. I may give it a try again in the future.

Happy Friday Foxy People! It’s a bit of a rainy day and I have been under the weather this week. I didn’t let it stop me from sharing my experience at a salad place downtown in Dallas. Have you heard of Bread Zeppelin? It this cool set up for fresh salad on the go. Check out the full breakdown below.

Things to Know

What makes Bread Zeppelin different than other salad spots is that it chops your salad and stuffs it into a warm bread baguette. Think of it as a pita pocket sandwich, but better lol.

You can build your own salad or choose from their Signature salads. This is perfect if your are Vegan or Vegetarian because you can pick and choose what you can eat.

Their portions are HUGE! You definitely get a bang for your buck. A little cheat to get more food is to skip putting your salad in a baguette and opt for a bowl to go. You can easily get 2 meals out of it.

Fan Favorite

Since being in Texas for about 4 years now, I’ve fully embraced the Tex-Mex cuisine. So, if you want to stick to those roots for a nice, filling salad, give their Southwest Signature salad a try. It’s filled with avocado, tomatoes, corn, black beans, cotija cheese, and romaine lettuce (swap out for the arcadian mix since the recall of romaine). You have to top it with their buttery croutons and chipotle ranch. You will love it!

I hope you are enjoying this Foodie Friday series. This is something cute I thought about and figured it was a good way to highlight some foodie experiences each week.

This week, I am covering the grand opening of Modern Marketat their new Plano location. Every time I get a chance to attend one of their events, I always feel honored. The food is always amazing and each location is just beautiful with their bright yellow and white color scheme. It brings about happy feels and goes along with their focus of having fresh and vibrant dishes.

Modern Market

Things to know…

Modern Market focuses on providing pure and simple ingredients. That means, they make a point to really focus on farm to table by partnering with farmers, ranchers, suppliers, etc. that follow sustainable practices. They stray away from the artificial and antibiotic filled foods, which is great!

It’s a fast food like vibe similar to a Panera Bread, which means no reservations are needed. I like to stay and eat there. The look and feel is too nice to hurry home.

It caters the Vegans, Vegetarians, and Meat Lovers. You can bring the whole family and everyone can experience great, fresh food!

Favorite Dish

Buddha Bowl

If you are looking for a fresh, light item to eat for lunch, this would be it. The surprising thing is I do not like tofu, but their tofu is soaked really good in the sesame glaze. It is good to me and I never thought I would be saying that lol. The citrus cabbage slaw is bright. The peanut mango sauce mixed with the chopped peanuts gives the bowl a nice crunch. It’s a good dish.*Also, you have to get a Carrot Lemonade to go with any meal you order. It’s SO good! Just picture fresh carrots that are juiced and mixed in with their special lemonade. Just give it a try!

If you go to Modern Market, give us a shoutout and let them know Foxy Veggies sent you!

The holiday season is approaching so fast! I know you usually see my Foodie Friday posts, but this week I wanted to ensure that I equipped everyone with some of my top items and go to recipes for a great, veggie friendly Thanksgiving. This will hopefully give you time to plan your menu!

Top 3 Thanksgiving Turkey Substitutes

Great news! All of these below options are Vegan.

Gardein Turk’y Meatless Cutlets

This product I enjoy thoroughly throughout the fall. I hope they start having this year round because it is so good! It is a pre-breaded cutlet that you can bake and pair with your favorite gravy. This is a soy based product and is made with organic ancient grain flour (KAMUT® khorasan wheat, amaranth, millet, quinoa) and potato starch.Check out thislinkfor ingredient details.

Quorn Chik’n Cutlets

I was drawn to this product simply because of the name lol. I ended up liking this item because of it’s texture. If you don’t want a soy based product, you may want to give this one a try. It is made from Mycoprotein, Potato protein, and Pea fiber. I like to cook this product in Vegetable broth. It absorbs those flavors very well.Check out thislinkfor ingredient details.

Gardein Holiday Roast

I haven’t had a chance to try this option, but I’ve been wanting to for years! It’s finally available in the Dallas area, so I’m going to give it a try. This is a soy based product as well and is made with organic ancient grain flour (KAMUT® khorasan wheat, amaranth, millet, quinoa) and potato starch. Want to try it with me?It is basically formed like a roast and it has a stuffing mix in the middle.Check out thislink for ingredient details.

Top 3 Thanksgiving Sides

Cornbread Dressing

Follow your traditional recipe for baking cornbread. You can swap out some of the dairy products with vegan buttery spread and unsweetened almond milk to make it Vegan friendly. Once it is baked and cooled, add in some fresh rosemary chopped, some sauteed onions and bell peppers, vegetable broth, salt, black pepper, thyme, and a lot of sage! lol. I just love that seasoning during the holidays. Mix this well and bake in the oven for about 30 minutes on 350 degrees or until it is firm and golden at the top.

Mashed Potatoes

It’s all the same process you usually use for mashed potatoes. You just have to make Vegan friendly option. How? Simple, instead of using milk or cream, swap out the ingredients with unsweetened almond milk. Instead of using butter, swap it out with a vegan buttery spread like Earth Balance original spread or extra virgin olive oil. If you’re okay with keeping it Vegetarian friendly, add in a tablespoon of olive oil mayo and some cheese for extra creaminess.

Sauteed Kale

This is the most easy recipe of them all! All you need is a few bunches of kale, sweet onion, extra virgin olive oil, black pepper, red pepper flake, and salt. Saute them all in a skillet until the kale is withered and the onions are a golden brown color.

It’s “Foodie Friday”, my favorite day of the week. It’s my chance to highlight some pretty dope restaurants in the DFW area. I’ve been really lucky in my blogger journey because I’ve been able to go to some really nice grand openings.

This week, I was invited to the Grand Opening of Bellagreen.It’s an American Bistro that has multiple locations in Houston. The new location on Walnut Hill Ln will be the 1st of many in the DFW.

Now let’s get to the fun part! You’re obviously wondering, how did you like the food and the space? You know I got you! Check out all the highlights from Bellagreen below.

Bellagreen

Things to know…

They are environmental conscious people at Bellagreen.Their goal is to make the communities around their restaurants more beautiful. To do that, they make sure to reduce their ecological footprint through Alternative Power, Chemical & Pollution Reduction, Sustainable Food Practices, Sustainable Furnishings & Building Materials, and Water Conservation. I just love a place that cares about my well being and what food they are actually serving their patrons!

It’s a casual dining restaurant, which means you can dress up or down. This is perfect for if you want to have a casual business team lunch, family night, or date night. It’s a place for every occasion.

Their menu caters to so many dietary needs!For example, if you are Vegan or Vegetarian, they have you covered. If you are doing the Paleo diet, they have those options. They cater to those who live a Gluten Free lifestyle as well. So many perks and everyone can eat without feeling limited.

***BONUS FUN FACT***For all of the Wine Connoisseurs, they have a program where if you bring in 10 wine corks during your meal, you can take home a free glass of wine! Yep, I said it! FREE BOTTLE OF WINE. Pretty nice right? They use those corks to create beautiful art for each restaurant location.

Favorite Dish

I had to list all of the goodies we had. They feed us very well!

Starter

Organic Spinach Dip

Imagine Spinach dip with all the good cheeses blended into you nice serving with flatbread and a tapenade inspired plate. Can you picture it? That’s what they have created for you. So yummy!

The Vegetarian Choice

The (V) Burger

I’ve never had a burger like this. It was creamy, but holds it’s form. It was also packed with little nuggets of veggies like corn and sweet potatoes. Great little surprises! You also get to choose a side of either sweet potato fries, house cut fries, or their quinoa salad. That quinoa salad was so fresh and I loved that it had nuts mixed in for a nice crunch.

A Fan Favorite for Meat Lovers

I had the pleasure of bringing my mama along with me. She enjoyed it! All great reviews in regards to flavor with the chicken and veggies. The lemon added a little tartness to it in a good way she mentioned.

Desserts

Carrot Cake & the Domino Cake

Both were AMAZING and rich! Let’s just say we cleaned our plates with those two.

If you go to Bellagreen, give us a shoutout and let them know Foxy Veggies sent you!

I’m a couple weeks behind with sharing my Denver Adventures. I know, I know lol. Let’s just say I had to catch up on my life here in Dallas and I hit the ground running with work and trying other food places. Regardless, I had a great foodie experience in Denver. Denver had to have been one of the most peaceful places I’ve ever visited in my life! It’s something about being in the mountains and seeing the beautiful red rock formations mixed with the blue skies. It’s breathtaking. The city was quiet too. It seemed that everything and everyone was just quietly enjoying life. I’m used to the hustle and bustle of cars buzzing by, trains, and people everywhere. It was nice to take a step back from all of that for a change. It was pretty dope to experience all of this with my girls and close friends.

One major thing that we share as friends is that we love food and we love to try new places. Our little planner of the group, Brittany, hooked us up with some great places to try for brunch while we were there. She nailed it! Our top 2 places to try in Denver were Denver Biscuit Company& Snooze

Check out the mini reviews below!

Denver Biscuit Company

Things to know…

They open at 8 am and close at 2 pm. Don’t get caught up and miss out. Plan your brunch arrival time to about 11 am – noon. This way you get to accommodate the wait time on the list.

Obviously, this restaurant caters to their biscuits. The majority of the menu will have a biscuit involved and it’s worth it.

They have good drinks too. Try a mimosa!

Favorite Dish

Biscuits + Gravy

Biscuit smothered in housemade sausage or vegetarian mushroom gravy. You can add an egg as well

You have no idea how hard it can be to find vegetarian friendly options at restaurants sometimes. Even something as simple as gravy. If it’s made with meat in any way, it’s not vegetarian lol. I’m happy they got it right and provided an option for us veggie friendly peeps. That biscuit was SO buttery and good. Adding a scrambled egg on top just gave it that next step up that it needed.

Snooze an AM Eatery

I loved the bright colors and retro diner style of the restaurant. They have unique seating outside of the traditional tables. They have circle seating available for big parties. It’s perfect because everyone can see one another and not feel left out of the conversation.

Things to know…

No reservations can be made in advance. You have to wait in line like everybody

They close at 2 pm. Again, don’t get caught up and miss out on this great food by showing up late. They will be closed.

Minor need to know, but it helps if you are particular about food. Snooze changes their jelly choices each day. So if you are a die hard grape or strawberry fan, you may need to branch out if they don’t have it. I liked that change up because it doesn’t get boring and you can try something new.

Favorite Dish

3 Egg Omelet or Scramble

Farm fresh eggs with a choice of three fillings served with hash browns and choice of toast or tortillas **Tofu scramble option as well**.

This omelet was perfect. You get to chose whatever toppings you want to have in your omelet. There is a limit to the number of toppings you can add in for free. I believe it’s 3 free options and then an additional cost after, but who needs more than 3 in an omelet?I also liked the options in toast. That sounds petty lol, but I like to have more than a white or wheat bread option and they offered some many. I opted for my favorite, Sourdough bread.

If you have any suggestions on some great restaurants to try in Denver, leave a comment below. I love interacting with my Foxies. As usual, follow me on Instagram for daily posts and updates, @foxyveggies.

Happy Foodie Friday! I’ve been gone for a week with my Denver trip, but I’m finally back. So many great reviews to come! I will even have a post about my trip to Denver.

This week, I wanted to feature this cool, hidden gem in Richardson, TX. If you are near the area or don’t mind making the trip for some good tacos, Taco Ocho is the place for you.

The thing that sold me the most about this restaurant was that half of the menu was catered to Vegans and Vegetarians! Yes, we finally have a place where people get us at a regular establishment lol. On top of that the food was freshly made to order.

Fan Favorites

The Yucatan and Caribbean Taco Plate that comes with rice and beans. The plate was only $10!

Queso & Chips

This queso is not a boring queso. It has little surprises as you keep digging in. You may get some onions, you may get some tomato, and it’s a white queso and not the golden hue we’re used to. I love a blanco queso. Every version I’ve had, it’s been good.

Hand-hacked Hass Avocado Guacamole and Chips

You may not know, but guacamole is the best in my eyes! I can eat it and just plain avocados every single day on everything lol. Their guacamole in particular I can picture on everything. It’s fresh and seasoned. That’s key!

All I can say is, you can enjoy a meal for two for around $25 and it will include appetizers galore. Take a look at their menu and give them a try.

Happy Foodie Friday Foxies!!! This week, I wanted to switch it up and give you a recipe.

Tis the season, it is feeling like Fall in Dallas this week. It made me want comfort food and to be snuggled in a blanket the entire week lol. I started thinking about how good Chicken and Dumplings used to be growing up. My Grandy and my aunts would make it on cold days back home in Milwaukee. Then I began to think about it, I haven’t had it in years. The question then became, how can I make this veggie friendly? I got the creative juices going and here we are with my Chick’n & Dumplings recipe. Check it out below! Let me know what you think. Like, Share, and Show some love in the comments.

Stay Foxy!

Chick’n & Dumplings

Soup Ingredients

1 bag of Gardein Chick’n Strips

2 1/2 (32 fl. oz.) Vegetable Broth

5 Carrots (diced)

3 Celery Stalks (diced)

1 Sweet Onion (diced)

3 Garlic Cloves (minced)

1/2 cup of Vegetable Oil

1 tbsp of Ground Black Pepper

1 tbsp of Salt

Dumpling Ingredients

2 Cups of All Purpose Flour

1 1/2 cups of Unsweetened Almond Milk

2 tbsp of Earth Balance Original Buttery Spread

3 tsp of Baking Powder

1 tsp of Salt

Directions

Add all of your dry ingredients for your dumpling mix and put them in a bowl. Mix them together, then whisk in your melted butter and almond milk.

As soon as your thick mixture for your dumplings are mixed well together. Sit it in the fridge.

Prep your carrots, celery, garlic, and sweet onion.

Take a large pot, turn stove to medium high heat, and add in your vegetable oil.

Once the oil is heated, add in your veggies and garlic. Saute your mirepoix (veggie soup blend), give your vegetables about 2 minutes to sweat in the pot, then add in your chick’n strips. and seasonings.

Once those ingredients are mixed well in the pot, cover the pot, and allow the veggies and chick’n to cook for about 10 minutes.

Once the veggies are softened, add in your vegetable broth and bay leaves.

Take your dumpling mix out of the fridge and when the broth begins to simmer, take a tbsp of gently drop in spoonfuls of the dumplings to the broth.

Once all of your dumplings are in, stir then in and cover the pot again. Allow the dumplings to cook for 10 more minutes.

I always get excited for these posts. It lets me know that Friday is here and the weekend can begin! This week, I’m highlighting a newer restaurant called, Roti Modern Mediterranean.

A little piece of Chicago landed her in Dallas! I first heard of Roti when I was working in downtown Chicago. It was this cute, fresh, and new restaurant tucked away in the heart of the city. The food was always good and did not disappoint. It also left me feeling light and satisfied. In my work at the time, I was always on my feet running around in commissioned sales. You needed food for fuel, not to make you drag. The food here left me feeling refueled and energized.

Fast forward to now, I’m walking with a coworker for our 15 minute break and we get approached by a young man handing out free entree vouchers. I took a look and it was to Roti! What are the odds? I believe everyone driving and walking in that area could hear my excitement lol. We decided to give it a try that day. It was just as good as I remembered!

The menu is simple. You choose your base, which is either the Rice Plate, Laffa Wrap, Pita Sandwich, or Roti Salad. Then customize it with a protein such as Chicken Roti, Salmon Kabob, or Falaffel just to name a few. Then chose your sides to top it with like Tomato and Cucumber Salad, Hummus, Couscous, or Red Cabbage Slaw. Then you finish with your sauce. They have a variety. My favorite two that I like to add on my order are the Dill, Yogurt, & Cucumber sauce and the Garlic Sauce.

Check this place out when you’re venturing downtown in Dallas off of McKinney!

We made it to Week 3 of Foodie Friday and in honor of that, I figured we could highlight 3 of my favorite places to eat in Lower Greenville. The Lower Greenville area is a hipster’s dream lol. It’s a little pocket of eclectic bars, clothing stores, grocery stores, and restaurants. I like that area because despite the attention it gets, it still has more lowkey and chill vibes. My top 3 choices will cover all your bases! Crisp Salad Company gives you a great make your own salad option. Laurel Tavern caters to a variety of meat and meatless based burgers. Truck Yard is a staple that not only has it’s own kitchen, but has multiple food trucks that come so you can enjoy any cuisine you may be craving. For some of my favorite foods at each of these locations, check out the reviews below!

Crisp Salad Company

Open Monday – Sunday from 11 am to 9 pm, Crisp Salad Company gives you all the various options to make a filling salad. It was nice during the summer and of course our fall times feel like summer so it will still hit the spot lol. They offer the Greenville Cobb Salad if you want an updated version of a Cobb Salad. It comes with herb grilled chicken, romaine lettuce, the traditional hard boiled egg, grape tomatoes, onion, avocado, maytag blue cheese, bacon, and it’s tossed with a cider dijon vinaigrette. For us Veggie based eaters, they have The Chickpea Salad which is made of crispy falafel, chickpeas (obviously), sun-dried tomatoes, roasted red bell peppers, and tossed with a refreshing lemon tahini dressing. If these salads don’t work for you, there is always the build-your-own salad option. Win-Win either way!

Laurel Tavern

A nice hot spot where you can enjoy the front patio during this nice fall weather. Laurel Tavern does cater to this seeking good bar fare such as shared plates and sandwiches, but the best thing they have are the burgers! My favorite is the Tavern Burger. You can get the normal beef patty or swap it out with the infamous, Impossible Burger patty. The patty is topped with honey mustard, avocado, pickled red onion, and shredded lettuce. Check them out!

Truck Yard

The Truck Yard is a staple in Lower Greenville! It is the best if your just trying to have a good time with a few people and some drinks. It’s very lowkey and I love that they carry the “truck yard” theme throughout the restaurant. There is a kitchen area where you can order cheesesteaks and even veggie cheesesteakes! Then you have the choice to hang out in the bar area or venture further out to the yard where they have all the food trucks. My favorite truck is Azucar. I LOVE their Veggie Street Tacos made with refried black beans, lettuce, tomatoes, onions, cheese, salsa, crema!

It is week 2 of Foodie Friday and if you enjoyed last week’s review, you will definitely love this one. I had the luxury of finally eating at Knife Burger inside Legacy Hall. I didn’t quite know what to expect, but I was I figured it would be tasty. This is one of Executive Chef, John Tesar’s restaurants. You may know him because he is the Executive Chef and owner of Knife. I love that he decided to have a sister restaurant that is more fun and casual with burgers since Knife is an upscale steakhouse.

When you walk up to the counter, you see a simple and straight forward board that features their menu. I like that they get straight to the point with their offerings. There are 5 kinds of burgers that they specialize in.

“The Magic” – provides a different spin on the burger by swapping out the typical bun with an English muffin. What makes that burger so special is that it comes with cheddar cheese, lettuce, tomato, red onion, and bacon.

“The Pimento” – gives you all the Texas pimento cheese dip or sandwich vibes on a burger.

“The Veggie” – the best burger on the menu in my opinion lol. It’s a veggie patty with lettuce, tomato, red onion, and sprouts between a white bun.

The veggie burger was deceiving because I didn’t expect it to be as great as it tasted based on it’s appearance. It appeared it may have been slightly dry, but when I tasted it, I had a bite of a juicy, meat-like patty. I must admit, it was one of the best veggie burgers I’ve had in the DFW.

It’s been a long time, but I am back!!! I started doing these “Foodie Friday” posts back in the day and thought it would be brilliant to revamp it and bring it back. “Foodie Friday” is a way for me to share my experiences at local restaurants as a vegetarian and I’ll throw in some of my recipes from time to time.

In honor of the first “Foodie Friday” post, I wanted to share my experience at Pie Tap Pizza Workshop + Bar!

I was in the mood for pizza one day and I kept hearing from friends about this place not too far from my place. I always drove past it, but never found the time to step in. That day was the day. From the moment I walked up to the location, I instantly knew I was going to love this place. The patio area was nice and had umbrellas to give you relief from this Texas sun. The inside gave me industrial meets modern vibes with the decor. There was a mixture of seating where you can sit communal style or cozy in tables for 2 or 4. I could get used to the laid back vibes here.

Now let’s talk about the food! All you smell is the fresh dough baking in the air. You see different varieties of pizza pies on the table tops as you pan over the space. I couldn’t wait to try their “Margherita”Pie. It has organic tomato sauce, house mozzarella, basil, and sea salt. Simple ingredients that make a BOMB pizza. I literally had the whole pie to myself and ate the entire thing. That’s how good it was lol. I was happy to see that this wasn’t the only veggie friendly thing on the menu. They do offer a “Veggie” pie as well that is topped with eggplant, broccolini, fontina, calabrian peppers, garlic, and lemon zest. There are salad options, garlic knots, and hummus as well. They offer these dipping sauces for your pizza too. Their “Organic Marinara” was good, but the “House Ricotta Ranch” changed the game! It was the best ranch I ever had. I had the pleasure of trying the “House-made Doughnuts” and they were warm and fluffy. It’s like eating a sweet treat from home. I washed everything down with their “Crackberry Cider.” I am not a beer drinker. Let me repeat, I am not a beer drinker. This “Crackberry Cider”, changed my outlook on beer. It was so good! I loved the sweet berry notes and it was refreshing.

Overall, I loved “Pie Tap Pizza Workshop + Bar” and I will be frequently visiting. It’s veggie friendly while offering traditional meat fare for the rest of the family.

Want to be fancy and max this yourself at home? Check out my recipe for Hollandaise Sauce below so you can be a STAR when you host a brunch again.

As always, follow me on Instagram @foxyveggies And on Twitter @foxy_veggies.

Stay Foxy!

Hollandaise Sauce

Ingredients

4-6 oz. of Clarified Butter

2 Large Egg Yolks

1 tbsp of Freshly Squeezed Lemon Juice

Salt and Cayenne Pepper to taste

Directions

If you would like to clarify your own butter, all you have to do is take 1 pound of Unsalted Butter and allow it to melt on low heat. As the butter melts, the pure butter fat will separate from the milk fat. The milk fat is a white film that will rise to the too. Skim it off frequently. Allow this to melt for about an hour giving the butter time to separate the water, butter fat, and milk fat. Once the milk fat is all skimmed off, drain off the butter fat making sure the water at the bottom doesn’t mix in.

If you don’t want to take these steps to make your own clarified butter don’t fret, you can buy some online via this link https://www.amazon.com/Trader-Joes-Clarified-Butter-Ghee/dp/B00G12Z36W

If you freshly made your own clarified butter, sit it aside and allow it to cool off a little until it’s warm. If you purchased clarified butter, heat up your 4-6 oz I’m the microwave for about 20 seconds

Take a small pot and fill it with water. Put it on medium heat.

In a little bowl, separate your egg yolks from their egg whites. If you want, you can save your egg whites for an egg whites scramble or omelette the next day. We need to bring them to room temperature.

Once the water simmers, place your egg yolks in a bowl and place it over the pot. Start to whisk your egg yolks until they start to turn to a lighter yellow color almost a pale yellow.

Take the bowl off of the heat, place a towel underneath it, and add the lemon juice to the mix.

Whisk the lemon juice until it’s fully mixed in then begin to slowly drizzle in your clarified butter. You have to whisk with one hand while you drizzle the butter in with the other.

You’ll know it’s ready when all the butter is mixed in and you’re left with a a creamy sauce.

I was in the mood for some ravioli, so I decided to share my Sage Brown “Butter” recipe!

This recipe is super simple and you can pretty much put this on any pasta. Oh…and it’s Vegan! I don’t make Vegan recipes often, but this is pretty good. I easily swap out the butter and use the whipped Vegan spread instead.

Let me know what you think! Also, make sure to follow me throughout the week on my Facebook Page, Foxy Veggies, on Instagram @foxyveggies, and Twitter @foxy_veggies.

Stay Foxy!

Sage Brown “Butter” Sauce

Ingredients

Pasta of your choice or Ravioli of your choice

5 tbsp of Organic Vegan Whipped Spread

7 fresh Sage leaves

Directions

Follow the directions for cooking your pasta.

As the pasta is cooking, take a small pot and turn it to medium heat. Add in your Vegan spread and turn the heat down to low.

Allow your spread to melt. There may be foam that rises to the top. Skim this off with a spoon and discard of it. This process will take about 5 minutes.

Once the majority of the foam is removed, add in the sage leaves and stir it around. Allow the sage to steep in the vegan spread for an additional 5 minutes.

This my first post of the year and I am very excited for all the wonderful things I have planned for you this year.

If this is your first time visiting my blog, welcome to Foxy Veggies! You are in for a treat. If you have visited my blog before, thank you for returning!

If you attended my Sunday Vegetarian Soul Food Class at Food Saved Me, as promised, I have those featured recipes shown below. I really appreciate you coming out.

I plan to have more classes throughout the year, so please stay tuned for updates. If you want to get that news directly to you, please fill out the contact form on the “Contact Us” page to be added to my email newsletter.

As always, follow this blog for recipes and more. For daily posts, follow me on Instagram @foxyveggies and Twitter @foxy_veggies.

I must admit, it has been a few weeks since I last posted. I hope you have been keeping up with my adventures on my Instagram account. If not, check it out @foxyveggies.

Let’s talk about these adventures! Between family visiting, events, and birthday celebrations for friends, I feel like October has been my busiest month to date lol. In the midst of all of this, I was blessed with a really cool opportunity to shine with some Black Women who are making their mark in the Dallas Blogger Community.

Melody, Blingaholic88, reached out to me regarding her annual, girl power focused photoshoot. She chooses a different theme each year. This year’s theme was, “Slaying in the Country” and we did just that! I had the pleasure of slaying with some really cool chicks. Brittany “Bri”, Kenya, Melody, and Tanika who all run their own blogs here in Dallas. Their blogs range from Fashion to Music to Lifestyle.

It’s a beautiful Sunday and I’m happy you stopped by to the k out another recipe. This week, I wanted to hop on the bandwagon a bit and test out an Avocado Toast recipe. I believe this will give you the crunch and freshness that you seek with to go with the creamy, avocado. I hope you enjoy it.

As always, comment below and let me know what you think.

Follow me throughout the week via Facebook and Instagram @foxyveggies and Twitter @foxy_veggies.

Stay Foxy!

Avocado Toast

Ingredients

4 Slices of Honey Oat Wheat Bread

1 pint of Heirloom Cherry Tomatoes

1 Large Avocado

1 Lime

1 tsp of Garlic Powder

1/2 tsp of Ground Cayenne Pepper

Fresh Ground Black Pepper and Salt to taste.

Directions

Take your 4 slices of bread and toast them in your toaster. If you don’t have a toaster, put them in the oven for 10 minutes at 350 degrees.

While your toast is going, take your avocado, slice it in half and make slices the long way into it. Put the avocado in a bowl, take a fork, and smash it.

Take your lime, roll it to lossen the juices, slice it, and squeeze the juice over the avocado.

Add in all the seasonings to the avocado and mix well.

Take a bunch of the cherry tomatoes and slice them in halves.

Now assemble! Your toast is the base, then add the avocado spread, and top with the tomatoes.

I know you guys saw my posts on Instagram about Austin. I wanted to do a post with more details about my girls trip.

Long story short, we had a great time! There was eating, shopping, eating…and did I mention we ate a lot? lol. That is pretty much our favorite way to pass the time.

For the shopping, we decided to go to South Congress. I think we could’ve stayed there the entire time. You didn’t really need to leave that area for anything. There was food, music, and shopping. All the essentials that us ladies like in any trip.

While we were there, I was able to try on my first pair of genuine cowgirl boots at Allens Boots. They had some Leopard booties I just had to try on.

That night, we went to 6th street. It was definitely a different vibe than Dallas. I don’t think I’ve seen a place where the entire street is blocked off for us to enjoy bars on each side of the street. It was nice. There was a good mix of bars that played good music. I love to dance, so that made my night.

The next morning, we went back to South Congress. We stopped by two very popular food trucks for breakfast. Mellizos Tacos, a taco food truck that had fresh tortillas for their Migas breakfast taco and Gourdough’s a donut food truck that had the best gourmet donut I’ve ever had! The Miss Shortcake was a bit sweet, but I enjoyed the cream cheese and fresh strawberries. It is genius!

Since we are in the middle of summer, I find myself wanting to eat more light. I tend to feel more weighed down eating heavier foods. With that being said, I opted for a sandwich recipe. Introducing…The Cucumber Sandwich!

Check out the recipe below and leave a comment for me. I would love to hear from you!

As always, you can keep up with me during the week via Instagram @foxyveggies and Twitter @foxy_veggies.

I hope you have enjoyed your Memorial Day Weekend so far with family and friends. I want to thank all of our fallen soldiers who have risked their lives to protect us and we honor them for their service.

In edition to Memorial Day celebrations, today is National Burger Day! It is only right that I give you guys a great burger recipe.

Check out my my recipe below and keep in contact with me by leaving a comment below!

Directions

Take a small pan, turn the heat to medium. Once it starts to heat up, add in your Vegetable or Canola Oil. Either one works for this recipe.

Mix your seasonings in a small bowl. You will use it to season everything throughout the cooking process.

Once the oil is heated, add in your burger. Allow the burger to cook for about 4 minutes on one side, then flip. Add some of your seasonings on this side. Cook the remaining side for another 4-5 minutes. Before you take it off ans sit ut aside, add some more of your seasoning.

While the burger is cooking, slice your yellow onion, tomato, and lettuce.

Before you take your burger out of the pan and sit it aside, add some more of your seasonings.

In the same pan, take 1 tbsp of your Olive oil and add it to the pan. Once the oil is heated, add in your onions and a little of your seasonings.

Turn the heat to low and allow the onions to cook for about 10 minutes or until they are caramelized.

Take them out and sit them aside as well.

In the same pan, heat the pan back to medium heat and add in the remaining Olive oil.

Take your egg and crack it straight into the pan. As it’s cooking, top with your seasoning. Cook the egg for about a minute on one side, then flip and cook the egg for about another minute on the other side. Add in the last of the seasonings.

Now it’s time to assemble the sandwich!

Take your bread and add the mayo to a side of each slice of Bread.

Add your patty, tomato, lettuce, fried egg, onions, and top it with your barbecue sauce. Add the other bread to the top.

You know I always love to give you guys simple recipes to have throughout the week. Well, this week’s recipe helps combat your sweet tooth cravings in a healthy way. The Parfait! You can customize it and make this recipe your own with your favorite fruits and nuts.

As always, let me know what you think and comment below. For updates during the week, follow me on Instagram @foxyveggies and Twitter @foxy_veggies.

Stay Foxy!

Parfait

Ingredients

(Serves 2)

1 cup of Greek Gods Honey Vanilla Greek Yogurt

1 Nature’s Valley Honey Oat Granola Bar

1 Small Banana

1/4 cup of Sliced Almonds

1/4 cup of Craisins

Directions

Either take a good processor and pulse your granola bars until they are a nice crumble or crush your granola bars by hand and sit it aside.

It’s been a couple weeks since I’ve posted a recipe and I wanted to dive right back into a more light and refreshing recipe. Strawberry and Banana smoothies served so many purposes for me in the spring and summer months. It was sometimes my breakfast, lunch, or even a sweet treat after dinner.

Give my recipe a try and let me know what you think of it! Once you make your own smoothie, you won’t want to buy them from the juice bars anymore lol.

For updates during the week, follow me on Instagram @foxyveggies and Twitter @foxy_veggies.

Everyone loves brunch right? This is especially true on Sundays. Today, I had a girls brunch with my friends and we decided to give Meso Maya a try.

Meso Maya is located downtown off of McKinney Ave. It’s right by the Perot Museum. Our ultimate driver to this restaurant was their $3 mimosas! I know that sounds bad, but who doesn’t love mimosas? Lol I loved that they also offered vegetarian options. They received even more points in my book for that.

I opted for the Skinny Eggs on the Brunch menu. It was egg whites scrambled with spinach, mushrooms, and cheese. I suggest if you are vegan, you can customize it by asking for this item without cheese. The scramble was very good and flavorful. You always had enough room to enjoy an additional mimosa if you wanted to.

The final verdict…I will definitely be back with the girls! The patio area was nice, the staff was friendly, and the food and drinks were good. Check them out the next time you are in the mood for Authentic Mexican food. Their website is http://www.mesomaya.com/

As always, follow me on my social media pages @foxyveggies on Instagram and @foxy_veggies on Twitter.

It’s a beautiful Sunday in Dallas and I wanted to do anot easy going recipe that you can use everyday this week. Have you ever tried meal prepping for breakfast? Oatmeal is the easiest thing to cook ahead of a time. Try it out this week and you’ll thank me later with the time savings you had.

As always, keep up with me during the week on Instagram @foxyveggies and on Twitter @foxy_veggies.

Stay Foxy!

Homemade Oatmeal with Fresh Berries

Ingredients

2 cups of Water

1 cup of Quaker Oats Quick 1-Minute Oats

1 1/2 tbsp of Unsalted Butter

2 tsps of Light Brown Sugar

1/2 tsp of Salt

A handful of Fresh Blueberries and Raspberries

Directions

In a small pot, add in all of your ingredients and turn the heat to medium.

Continue to stir the Oats until the butter is dissolved.

When the oatmeal begins to bubble, cover the pot and take it off of the heat. Allow the Oats to cook for about 10 minutes.

Rinse off your fresh berries. Put your oatmeal in a bowl and top with the fresh berries.

Today I wanted to share a slightly fancy recipe that I think we all should have in our pocket. Let’s make Hollandaise Sauce! It’s our gateway to Eggs Benedict. This will make you stand out at all of the brunch parties.

I am featuring in the photo, steamed asparagus that I will lightly saute in clarified butter and season with salt and pepper and a poached egg.

If you would like me to do a step by step recipe on a poached egg, comment below and let me know.

As always, follow me on Instagram @foxyveggies And on Twitter @foxy_veggies.

Stay Foxy!

Hollandaise Sauce

Ingredients

4-6 oz. of Clarified Butter

2 Large Egg Yolks

1 tbsp of Freshly Squeezed Lemon Juice

Salt and Cayenne Pepper to taste

Directions

If you would like to clarify your own butter, all you have to do is take 1 pound of Unsalted Butter and allow it to melt on low heat. As the butter melts, the pure butter fat will separate from the milk fat. The milk fat is a white film that will rise to the too. Skim it off frequently. Allow this to melt for about an hour giving the butter time to separate the water, butter fat, and milk fat. Once the milk fat is all skimmed off, drain off the butter fat making sure the water at the bottom doesn’t mix in.

If you don’t want to take these steps to make your own clarified butter don’t fret, you can buy some online via this link https://www.amazon.com/Trader-Joes-Clarified-Butter-Ghee/dp/B00G12Z36W

If you freshly made your own clarified butter, sit it aside and allow it to cool off a little until it’s warm. If you purchased clarified butter, heat up your 4-6 oz I’m the microwave for about 20 seconds

Take a small pot and fill it with water. Put it on medium heat.

In a little bowl, separate your egg yolks from their egg whites. If you want, you can save your egg whites for an egg whites scramble or omelette the next day. We need to bring them to room temperature.

Once the water simmers, place your egg yolks in a bowl and place it over the pot. Start to whisk your egg yolks until they start to turn to a lighter yellow color almost a pale yellow.

Take the bowl off of the heat, place a towel underneath it, and add the lemon juice to the mix.

Whisk the lemon juice until it’s fully mixed in then begin to slowly drizzle in your clarified butter. You have to whisk with one hand while you drizzle the butter in with the other.

You’ll know it’s ready when all the butter is mixed in and you’re left with a a creamy sauce.

I feel like Dallas constantly has a rolling series of clouds over the city lately lol. It is another gloomy Sunday. Gloomy days spark comfort food feels. That is the best kind of food for Sunday Dinner.

Today’s recipe is Spaghetti “Meat” Sauce. I was in the mood for pasta and this recipe is so filling,. Pair it with some Garlic Bread and Thin Wheat Spaghetti Noodles and you will have a complete meal!

As always, comment below. Follow me throughout the week on Instagram @foxyveggies and on Twitter @foxy_veggies.

Stay Foxy!

Spaghetti “Meat” Sauce

Ingredients

1 can (24 oz.) Hunts Pasta Sauce

1 can (4 oz.) Giorgio Chunky Style Portabella Mushrooms

1 cup of Boca Veggie Ground Crumbles

1/4 cup of Yellow Onion

2 tbsp of Ricotta Cheese

1 tbsp of Canola Oil

1 tbsp of Light Brown Sugar

1 tbsp of Garlic Powder

1 tbsp of Onion Powder

1 tsp of Salt

1 tsp of Ground Black Pepper

1 tsp of Red Pepper Flakes

1 tsp of Oregano

1 tsp of Thyme

1 tsp of Rosemary

Directions

In a small pot on the stove, turn the heat to medium.

After about 1 minute and in your canola oil.

As the oil is heating up, take your yellow onion and cut it into a small dice. Open your can of mushrooms. Drain and rinse them off.

Take your Meatless crumbles, onions, and mushrooms and add them to the pot. Take all of your seasonings and mix them together well. Add in half of the seasonings now and allow the crumbles to cook for about 1 minute.

As this is cooking, open your can of sauce and add that to the pot.

At this time, you can add in the remaining seasonings. Give the sauce a stir and turn the heat to low. Allow the sauce to simmer for about 2-3 minutes.

When the sauce is ready, stir in your ricotta cheese and enjoy! (If you would like to keep the recipe Vegan, exclude the Ricotta Cheese.)

I hope you are having a blessed Sunday! I wanted to give you an essential recipe that I believe everyone should have in their fridge or freezer at all times. Stock! Vegetable Stock to be exact. It’s great for the fall time when you want to make soups, add flavor to rice or flavor to chili.

Take a look at this Vegan and Vegetarian recipe below. As always, feel free to like, share, or comment about this recipe. You can follow me on Instagram @foxyveggies.

Ingredients for Mirepoux (standard medley base of carrots, celery, and onions for all stocks)

1 Carrot

1 Celery Stalk

1 1/2 Yellow Onion

Cold Water that covers the vegetables

Ingredients for Sachet (cheesecloth spice packet)

A small bunch of Parsley Stems

1 tsp of dried Thyme

3 Bay Leaves

1 tsp of Black Peppercorns

Square of Cheesecloth

Twine to tie the sachet

Directions

Take your onions and dice them and give your celery and carrots a rough chop. Feel free to add the onion peels as well. They add flavor to the stock. Please remove the skin that may appear to be molded.

You should have more onions compared to the celery and carrots.

Take out a big stock pot and add in your vegetables.

Add the cold water to the pot so that it covers the vegetables.

Then, take your cheesecloth square and put your Black peppercorns, Parsley stems, Thyme, and Bay leaves to the center of the square. Take all ends of the cheesecloth to make a bundle and twist. Secure it with the Twine leaving enough Twine length to tie to your stock pot handle.

Drop your Sachet in the pot with the water and veggies and bring to a boil.

Once at a boil, turn to low and simmer for an hour. Skim the top if foam rises to the top.

Once done, strain out the veggies and cool the stock in an ice water bath.

Portion out in quart bags and you have stock you can freeze and grab out when you need it.

I hope you are having a beautiful Sunday. My post today will not be focused on a recipe, but it will pose as more of an educational post.

Every day I am asked about Vegetarianism and what it actually means. Sometimes it is confused with Veganism or Pescatarianism. Today, I wanted to explain the differences between each of them and show how the diets vary.

I have the breakdown and definitions below. A major perk of being in Culinary School is learning about all of these diets in a more in depth manor. Some of these definitions can be found in the book, “On Cooking: A Textbook of Culinary Fundamentals” the 5th Edition by Sarah R. Labensky, Alan M. Hause, and Priscilla A Martel. Others may be from my general knowledge.

As always, please feel free to comment below. Let me know if these breakdowns were helpful.

Vegetarian: a plant based diet which excludes the consumption of meat. There are three major levels of vegetarianism.

Ovo-vegetarian– a vegetarian who eats eggs but not dairy products.

Ovo-lacto vegetarian or lacto-ovo-vegetarian: a person who eats plants products as well as dairy products and eggs (although some may not eat cheeses made with animal-based enzymes such as rennet, or eggs produced by factory farms.) This is the diet that I follow 🙂

Lacto-vegetarian: a vegetarian who eats dairy products but not eggs.

Vegan: a person who eats no meat, fish or poultry or any products derived from animals such as milk, cheese, eggs, honey or gelatin; also referred to as a “strict” or “pure vegetarian.”

Pescatarian: a person who follows a fish or seafood based diet. They typically stray away from meat and poultry.

Ingredients

Directions

Take one pint of fresh strawberries and rinse
them off. Make sure to pat off the excess water from the strawberries with a
paper towel and sit aside to fully dry.

In one microwave save bowl, take your dark chocolate
wafers and allow it to microwave for 1 minute. Take the bowl out and stir. Put
the bowl back in for 30 second intervals, stirring in between each session until
all wafers are completely melted.

Repeat step 3 with the white vanilla wafers.

Dipping time! Take your strawberry by the green
top, dip, and gently roll the strawberry around in the chocolate sauce. Plate
on the cold plate.

Repeat step 5 until you are done with all the
strawberries.

Put back in the refrigerator until you are ready
to serve!

(If you want to do a decorative design on the strawberries, sit the chocolate covered strawberries in the refrigerator for about 5 minutes until the chocolate has hardened, then drizzle the alternate flavor of chocolate on the strawberries.)

Directions

Take 3 bowls out. Put your panko in one bowl. Mix in all the seasonings except for the garlic in the panko crumbs bowl. Put your almond milk in another bowl and the flour in the last bowl.

Wipe off your mushrooms with a damp paper towel, then coat each side with extra virgin olive oil and a little salt and pepper.

Dredge your mushroom caps by dipping them in the flour, then dipping them in the almond milk, then finishing them by pressing them in the panko crumbs. This will be your little assembly line for the mushrooms. Use one hand for the panko and flour and the other for the almond milk.

In a medium sized pot, add in enough vegetable oil to go halfway up the sides of the pot. Turn the heat to about medium high or until you start to see waves at the bottom with the oil. (You may have to adjust the heat levels during the cooking process.)

Take one mushroom cap and slowly drop it in. Cook on each side for about 4 minutes or until it is golden and crispy. Cook the mushroom caps one at a time. When ready, take the mushrooms and drain off the excess oil on paper towels.

During that time, preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Take your garlic cloves and mince them. In a small sauce pan, turn the heat to medium and add about a tablespoon of olive oil at the bottom. When hot, add in your garlic. When you see the garlic turn a golden brown, slowly pour in your marinara sauce and brown sugar. Turn the heat to low and allow to simmer for about 5 minutes.

Once the sauce is done, take a baking sheet and coat the bottom with a little of the sauce. Add your mushrooms on top of that. Coat the top of the mushrooms with the rest of the sauce. Top with the parmesan cheese and arugula. (If you want this to be vegan, substitute the parmesan cheese with vegan mozzarella shreds.)

Directions

In a medium pot, bring cold water to a boil and add in your elbow pasta. Allow the pasta to cook for about 7 minutes or until al dente.

While the pasta is cooking get a small pot. Turn the heat to medium and add in the vegan spread.

As the spread is melting, mince your garlic and add that into the pot as well.

When the garlic starts to turn golden brown, with a small whisk (or fork), add in your flour. Continuously whisk and the flour should make a paste. Only do this for about 10 – 20 seconds. Slowly pour in your almond milk and seasoning while still whisking everything. The goal is to have all of the flour bits gone.

Turn the heat down to low for the sauce. This is when you should add in each of your cheeses one by one. Save half of your gouda cheese to use at the end for topping. The key is to completely melt each cheese into the sauce before adding in the next cheese. The end result should be a creamy, cheese sauce without any lumps. (If you want this to be Vegan, substitute with vegan cheddar & mozzarella shreds.)

At this time, the pasta should be ready. Drain pasta, add it back into the medium pot. Pour your cheese sauce into the pot with the pasta and coat all the pasta. (At this point you can either bake your mac and cheese for a crispy topping at 350 degrees for about 10 minutes with the additional gouda cheese or you can serve as is.)

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